First Drive
Remember the Citroen DS? Well, it's back - symbolically, at any rate. The DS3 is the first in a series of modern DS variants. Will it be as influential as the original?
CITROËN, PEUGEOT'S SIBLING, IS BUSY REINVENTING ITSELF, WITH
a new prestigious image, a sharper focus on customer service and a whole swag of new product, the first to launch being the funky DS3. If the suffix rings a bell, that's because 55 years ago, Citroën released the DS and changed ideas about car styling and technology forever. DS, by the by, stood for 'Déesse', French for 'goddess'.
Is the DS3 a modern makeover of the mid-'sos deity? Frankly, no, it's not even remotely similar. Nor is the DS3 retro in the way the Mini and Fiat 500 are. Citroën describes the DS3 as anti-retro. Evidently, the two letters now stand for 'different spirit', but then 'dare to be different' is a Citroën byword.
The DS3 is the first product to be launched under the new corporate banner, and surprisingly, it received a ringing endorsement from Clarkson, who described it as 'motoring's equivalent of the iPod', and 'the best of the small cars by a very, very long way'. Perhaps all those rally-winning heroics are paying offH?r perhaps not, for while Citroën dominates championship rallying, little of this technology seems to end up in its road cars.
So what is it that makes the DS3 so dastardly decent in JC's eyes? Well, as he noted, the motor is quite something, but what really got him all fired up was the ability to customise the DS3. Luxury-car makers started the vogue so as to differentiate their product from the competition's equally customisable items, so why shouldn't makers of small premiums do likewise? Mini did, very successfully. And Audi's forthcoming Ai will follow suit. There's too much at stake to ignore the trend, even if there's copycat risk attached. Cynics might say there is nothing new under the sun, just different variations on a CAD theme, but buyers appreciate further options, particularly if they're less expensive.
We sampled the DSport DS3, which has just gone on sale here, over various New South Wales roads, which gave the Gallic charger a decent chance to strut its stuff. The engine, which features direct injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger, shakes itself off from isoorpm after momentary hesitation, and ramps it up from there,
Bright and shiny. Loud colours, reflective paint and plastic, alloy highlights. No mistaking the DS3 interior hitting the afterburners in the midrange en route to its 675orpm limiter. Direct injection plus turbocharging equals hot-hatch hilarity.
Citroen quotes a kerb weight of 1165kg, which helps explain the feisty behaviour, and its economy, too. On the motorway, we noted mean fuel use of 7.8L/iookm. At legal-ish speeds, this car feels utterly at ease; nokm/h is a relaxed 24oorpm in sixth. For max attack, it's best to bypass fifth and hook fourth, and the DS3 jumps forwards from 3500rpm like it's on getaway duty.
So there's nothing much wrong with the powertrain - at least that the option of a decent six-speed auto wouldn't fix - and the dynamics are a decent match, despite conventional underpinnings. Where the Cooper S sometimes torque steers across lanes, there's little in the way of tug here; and where the Mito darts over bumps, it takes the very worst of NSW roads (and some are diabolical) to upset the DS3. Citroens typically glide better than they grip, but this is much more balanced act. Over all but goat tracks, the DS3 rode with civility and decorum. Thanks to Potenzas, it's particularly sure-footed, and you need to club it like Bamm-Bamm to rouse the ESP system from its slumber. However, there's some road-generated thrum in the cabin, though that's hardly atypical with those RE-050A running shoes.
All good then? Almost. PSA has decided that electric steering has a definite role to play in saving the planet, so while the DS3 changes tack eagerly, just like a hot hatch should, the assistance feels digital. This is especially evident at slow speeds, where there's only a sixth sense of what's happening through the wheel. Electric steering may generate measurable fuel savings, but it's a shame this comes at the expense of steering characteristics that are critical for the enjoyment of a sporty hot hatch. Despite that, the DS3 rates a smiley driver's face, and when the nose starts sniffing out the hedgerows, it's highly throttle-adjustable. This is a hard chassis to unsettle. Put it down to stoic body control and decent rubber. We haven't had as much fun in a Citroen since 1993 when the company briefly dallied with active antiroll bars in the Xantia Activa. Golly, but that was good!
Citroens of old typically looked different. And this does, too - only not as much. Most new cars remind of something already available, and it's clear where DS3 inspiration arises. The black models, in particular, bear resemblance to a certain iconic small car from Britain. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was BMW's smallest, especially because of the floating roof. A second look reveals clues that point clearly otherwise, like vertical daytime running lights up front, and the reverse-sloping and abbreviated 'shark fin' B-pillar, the DS3's signature styling feature. Inside, there's clearly more mimicry afoot, as the paint finish on the dash is reminiscent of the Fiat 500's. But there's plenty to smile about here as well.
The customisation available in New Zealand pales against what's possible en France. After choosing a body colour, you then get to mix and match the roof hue (a $1600 option), and ditto for the exterior door mirrors, the dashboard, and in the case of the DSport, the wheel colour and interior trim. Providing you don't mind the wait, you can order a DS3 and customise to your heart's - and wallet's - content.
While both automatic and manual transmissions are available, the more desirable turbocharged model is coming with a six-speed manual gearbox only. The other version with a normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine - there is no diesel- gets the automatic transmission, and a four-speeder at that. Still, at $37,990 you're getting plenty of style, if not quite as much substance. That said, the DStyle trim spec includes a leather-bound wheel, an MP3-compatible head unit with remote controls, fog lights, electric door mirrors, cruise control with a speed limiter, ESP, sixairbags, electric windows and remote central locking. Dark-tinted rear windows, LED daytime driving lights and manual
Direct J injection plus turbocharging equals hot hatch hilarity
Staying focused on the Actually, following the canary car occupants had the drive route instructions
Price On Sale in NZ
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